(San Francisco, CA) Hundreds of firefighters Saturday battled a fast-growing wildfire that threatened homes and wineries in Napa Valley. Fire officials said the blaze had burned at least 300 acres in the rugged hills just outside Deer Park.
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CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) — A wildfire burned more than 1,000 acres Wednesday on a Marine Corps range used to train Marines in explosives disposal, forcing firefighters to work late into the night as flames spread on the massive base 40 miles north of San Diego.
Marine officials said they did not know the cause of the fire or whether training was going on at the range when the blaze began. Maj. Kristen Lasica said it was not immediately clear if explosives remained in the training field.
The fire began in the afternoon and burned uncontrolled, aided by winds as it moved toward the base's golf course, said Capt. Nick Schuler, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire.
"Crews are optimistic, but keeping in mind the dry weather conditions, there are no guarantees," said Schuler.
The fire was not threatening any buildings, but the golf course was evacuated as a precaution, said Marine Cpl. Priscilla Vitale, a base spokeswoman.
Billowing smoke could be seen about 25 miles away from the base, as far as San Juan Capistrano to the north and Solana Beach to the south.
It was not immediately known how the fire started or whether training was in progress when the fire started, Vitale said.
"It's putting up quite a bit of smoke," Schuler said.
Firefighters with the Marines and state forestry department battled the blaze with the help of a helicopter from the San Diego Fire Department and two air tankers from San Diego County, Schuler said.
Power was shut off in some areas of the base to allow firefighters to burn firelines, said Vitale.
Camp Pendleton, one of the largest bases in the country, takes up 125,000 acres in northern San Diego County. It is home to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. The Marine Corps established the base in 1942. |
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By J. Harry Jones
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
4:06 p.m. October 8, 2008
KEARNY MESA – The state will conduct a public hearing Tuesday night to give people a chance to “share their observations, experiences and other relevant information” relating to the three wildfires last year that investigators say were caused by downed or arcing power lines.
The Consumer Protection and Safety Division of the state Public Utilities Commission is developing corrective measures in order to reduce the risk of fires, and the hearing is part of that process.
Advertisement Of special interest to the PUC will be information regarding tree trimming, line clearances and other aspects of utility operations from the public's perspective, said spokeswoman Terrie Prosper.
The hearing will be from 6 to 8 p.m., longer if necessary, at the Al Bahr Shrine Center, 5440 Kearny Mesa Road in Kearny Mesa.
Commissioner Timothy Alan Simons and state Sen. Christine Kehoe are expected to speak and an admistrative law judge will preside over the hearing. Other PUC commissioners and elected officials are expected to attend.
Public speakers are asked to limit their statement to three minutes. Anyone who can't attend can forward comment to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
In a report released early last month, the PUC determined that San Diego Gas & Electric Co. failed to properly inspect and maintain powerlines implicated in the Witch Creek, Guejito and Rice Canyon fires, which combined killed two people and destroyed more than 1,300 homes.
The report also concluded that SDG&E obstructed the investigation by failing to cooperate fully by not making witnesses and evidence available.
The 32-page analysis also blamed Cox Communications for its role in starting the Guejito fire. It concluded lashing wires on a Cox cable in the San Pasqual Valley came loose and made contact with SDG&E power lines, causing arcing that ignited the fire |
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